The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-11-19


 hanging of thirteen years back-that of 1ibureio Vasquez. Sheriff Adams, aitcrward murdered in Arizona by friends of the bandit. so it is supposed, let party of San Fran cisco reporters into the San Jose jail the night before the execution.
 The little brigand, who had robbed and,slaughtered with his band through Santa Clara, San Benito, Fresno, Tu- lare and the whole southern country, until he had achieved a notoriety as high as that of his great predecessor, Joaquin Murietta, was sitting ab- sprbed in a newspaper when the re- Hprters entered. He had been per IBitted to leave his cell and take the freedom of the asphalt paved corridor. His chair was fashioned from dry goods box, and his lamp stood on the equally rough table, where there were also pens and ink. He had been writ ing his last letters
 Vasquez rose and nodded pleasantly to his curious visitors. There were half a dozen of them, and each pre- sented him with cigar or two, so that he had handful.
 ''I'm afraid" he said, with a smile, "that l shan't have time to smoke all these"
 He was very polite bandit, and re- mained standing until all the strangers were seated. He was not only self possessed, but cheerful. 1t pleased him to see new and not unfriendly faces, for no doubt his solitary thoughts had been anything but agreeable company.
 As he stood there, one hand on the arm of his chair, the newspaper in the other, and showing courteous inter- est in the efforts of the bustling dep uty to find seats for his guests, he was far from formidable in appearance. However terrible he may have looked when, shotgun in hand, he rode up to the stage coach, or the wayside store, the lonely traveller, or ;he isolated ranch house, with his clattering, criminal cavalry behind him, as ready to blow out brains and cut throats as to take plunder, he was now but q short, broad -shouldered, dark skinned, pleasant faced Mexican, with nothing whatever forbidding about him. h. deed, his manner was engaging.
 The fellow was gentleman. He showed it not only in his politeness, but in the cool courage with which he faced his dreadful end.
 "I would rather talk of something else, if it is agreeable to you gentle men," he said, when the reporters fell to business, and questioned him about the state of his mind.
 'I am to be hanged tomorrow. Very well. don't like it, but have no choice. See?"
 And he shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
 "Do you feel that you deserve your fate?" solemnly asked the dullest re- porter.
 "Well, that does not much matter," he answered, lighting a cigar. "While l never killed anybody myself, per mitted my men to do so and in the eye of the law that is the same thing so suppose l deserve what is going to happen. Since cannot help myself am content"
 His English was not nearly so good as this, but it was not so bad as an at tempt to render his Mexican accent in print would make it.
 ''Do you believe in hereafter?'' asked the solemn reporter.
 "Um-do you?" he asked in return, his black eyes twinkling.
 The solemn reporter grinned, and so did Vasquez.
 "The priest he has been here. He says there is another world. He is a good man and believes it. Very we'll, l do not know. But" seriously, d die Christian, Catholic, as I have lived. Will you pardon me, gentle men, if ask you to talk about some- thing else than myself. am glad to see you; like company. The weather is pleasant, eh?"
 He leaned back in his chair with an animated countenance. ready to chat, like one who wished to while away dragging hours. He had about four teen of them left
 The mans face was strong and firm. He was in the prime of life, and in perfect health. His courage had been proved in many bloody fight, and if by numbering all his visitors it would have given him one chance in thous- and of escape that chance would have been taken, and God thanked for it. As 1t was, he:smiled cordially, and &C., cepted the inevitable with manly com pOsures ssae.e rM
 H3sapoliteness was inexhaustible. ThrtyM:headed editor of one of the loedt sfapers oame iii, greeted him withA boistefous hilarity meant at once to cheer the, condemned and dis play to the mett0p0lt lttan jonrnalista ,euxv>nnfnr fnAfssaenx,s Su3fh ~sa,s ...l<.